Method of molding paper or other pulp and apparatus therefor



(No Model.) 3 SheetsShet 1.

E. F. PRESCOTT. Method of Molding Paper or other Pulp and Apparatus Therefor.

No. 240,270. Patented April 19,1881.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E.'F. PRESCOTT.

Method of Molding Paper or other Pulp and Apparatus Therefor. No. 240,270. P l tented A ril 19,1881.

\MTNEE EE I INVENTE] (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. P. PRESCOTT M6Bh0d of Molding Paper or other Pulp and. V Apparatus ThereforQ No. 240,270. Patenied April 19,1881.

WITNESSES INVENTUR 54m .x-QQW /fi/f' j M 94 jimaa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. PRESCOTT, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MOLDING PAPER OR OTHER PULP AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,270, dated April 19, 1881.

Application filed August 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, EDWARD F. PRESCOTT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have in vented a certain Improvement in the Method of Molding Paper or other Pulp and Apparatus therefor, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of my machine in elevation. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the valve-operating mechanism hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is a plan of a valve-handle made by the method and apparatus herein set forth, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section thereof.

The nature of this invention consists, first, in molding paper or other like pulp by depositing and compressing it in a chamber between the surfaces of the mold, or within the mold, by hydraulic or other high pressure, and then, by the movement of one portion of the mold toward another, or by the advance of a'diaphragm or follower upon the pulp, to directly compress it within the mold; second, in apparatus forpractically accomplishin g this method; and, third, in various details of construction, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Heretofore it has been customary in molding paper or any pulp of like character to the required shape to force the pulp into the mold gradually, under some pressure, substantially as described in Letters Patent No. 166,447, granted Benjamin F. Barker, assignor, dated August 10, 1875, but not to compress the pulp any of the well-known ways, is forced through the pipe (1 into the cylindrical chamber A by hydraulic pressure. The chamber is provided with an outlet, A, that connects with the pipe a, one end of which enters the chamber a at one end of the machine, and the other end of which pipe enters the chamber a at the other end of the machine. Suitable valves, a a for controlling the passage of the pulp through the pipes, are arranged near each chamber. The chambers a a preferably are perforated and lined with fine wire cloth or netting, and one section, B B, of the molds is arranged to be reciprocated therein by means of the pistons b b and the piston-rods 1) b In order that the machine may be worked economically, I connect the two pistons by the connecting-rod b, and arrange the cylinders b b upon a line. The other sections, B? B of the molds are each supported by a recessed perforated block, 0, and are given a movement to and from their respective chambers a a by means of the screw 0, operated by hand or by power, as desired. This construction enables the article molded to be easily removed from the mold, and also provides for effecting variations in the pressure, as it enables the parts B B' ,of the mold to be moved toward or away from the sections B B. cylinder is provided with a supply-pipe, d, on-

terin g the same behind the piston, and an exhaust-pipe, d, and each set of supply and exhaust passages is provided with the valves d d and the lever (1 pivoted at d to a standard, and connected with said valves by the stems d d", serves to open the direct and close the exhaust passage, or close the exhaust and moved. Each of the chambersot a is fastened to a movable block, E, which is adjusted on the frame of the machine horizontally, in order to adjust the position of the chamber in relation to the reciprocating part of the mold, by means of the screw 0 at its lower end and the screwrods 6 and nuts e at the upper end.

The operation of themachine is as follows: The chamber A and supply-pipe a are filled with pulp under pressure. The outer portion of the mold is adj usted-at the end of the chamber, as represented at the right hand in Fig. 1. The reciprocating section of the mold is moved to the position shown at the left hand Each of Fig. 1. The valve 11 is then opened, allowing the pulp to fill the chamber a between the two parts of the mold. A large part of the water is pressed from the pulp by the pressure and escapes through the perforations in the chamber and dies. The valve a is then closed, and the reciprocating portion of the mold is then driven toward or against the other portion, compressing the pulp within the chamber into themold. This leaves the chamber at the other end of the machine in position to receive a supply of pulp, as upon the said movement of the said section in compressing the pulp in one chamber the portion of the mold in the other chamber corresponding is drawn back to a position to be operated. The outer portion of the mold is moved' outwardly from the chamber, and the molded article taken therefrom either before or after the reciprocating part has been.

It will be observed that by connecting the two pistons in the manner described each piston serves to free the cylinderin which the other piston is operatedthat is, upon the opening of the supply-valve behind one piston it is forced forward, while at the same time the other piston is moved backwardly and forces the water outwardly through the exhaust, so that the exhaust of one cylinder must always be open when the supply-valve of the other cylinder is open.

In lieu of the molds B B B B molds of any other shape, constructed so that one section shall be attached to the piston-rod and the other to the movable block a, may be employed; or, in lieu of forming the molds in sections, the entire mold may be carried by the block 0, and a follower or diaphragm may be arranged upon the piston-rod to close into the mold. The article manufactured by the mechanism, as herein shown, is a valve-handle for steam or water valves, and it is an improvement upon the ordinary wooden handles employed, in that it is lighter, stronger, and cheaper, and will not split from the action of heat or cold, as is the case with the wooden ones.

It is not essential that the chamber containing the mold be perforated; but itis essential that either the chamber or a portion thereof, or the mold, be perforated. I prefer where it is feasible to make the perforations in the mold rather than in the chamber, in order that the portion of the moldthat is movable in the chamber may be moved more easily therein without the liability of the paper-pulp interfering with its movement by lodging in the perforations or in the wire-netting covering them, thereby interfering with the movement of the said portion of the mold.

I also desire to state that I do not confine myself in the use of this invention to molding pulp known as paper-pulp, but may use it for molding any other kind of pulp or any material of a moldable nature.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- 1. In a machine for molding pulp, the com-v bination of the chambers a a means for feeding pulp thereto successively and under pressure, a mold in each chamber in two parts, one of which parts has a reciprocating movement within each chamber in relation to the other part, a piston-rod connecting the reciprocating parts of the two molds, the cylinders b 0 the pistons b b, and suitable connecting ports and valves, whereby the pistons are successively operated, and the reciprocating parts of the molds moved in relation to the stationary parts, all substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a machine for molding pulp, of the distributing-reservoir A, for containing pulp under pressure, the perforated chamber a the pipe a, connecting the reservoir with the cham ber, the valve a, and the sectional mold B In within said chamber, one of which sections has a reciprocating movement in relation to the other, all arranged to operate substantially as described. I

3. In a machine for molding articles ofpulp,

the two chambers a a means for alternately supplying them with pulp under pressure, and a sectional mold contained in each chamber, the end sectionsof which are connected and have a reciprocating movement, the chambers being so arranged that the movement of the one section of a mold to compress the pulp opens the other mold by separating the sections, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a molded non heating valve-handle, indestructible by variation in temperature, made of pulp under pressure, substantially as described.

EDWARD F. PRESCOTT.

Witnesses F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, A. J. OETTINGER. 

